Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act

Key Provisions

• Requires Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians or nurse practitioners to certify the death of their primary care veteran patients who die of natural causes within 48 hours of learning of the death.
• Lets a local coroner or medical examiner certify a veteran's death if a VA physician or nurse practitioner cannot meet the 48-hour deadline.
• Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to send annual reports to Congress about how well VA staff are meeting the 48-hour death certification rule.